While attending last weekend’s “Pride in the Park” festival, I witnessed an act of religious masochism.
It wasn’t hard to miss.
A tall man with a large sign saying, “Let me tell you why you’ll burn in Hell” was being loudly confronted by another man yelling “Get the f**k out!” as more and more people urged him on.
The sign-bearer was attempting, no doubt, to bear witness to what he saw as God’s truth: that homosexuals are grievous sinners. He also knew, without a doubt, that coming to a Pride event with that message was bound to provoke outrage.
And yet he went and tried to gain entry.
His was an act of religious masochism.
He did it because, in his mind, he was compelled to testify to the divine word. And he did it knowing that his message would be rejected, forcibly. And he did it knowing that he would be verbally, and possibly even physically, abused.
Which he was. And he embraced it all willingly.
Had everyone ignored him, he would have felt his message wasn’t being heard. Had he not been screamed at, he wouldn’t have felt validated.
But he delivered his message and it was received—badly.
Which was good, because it made him feel like the prophets of old, and like Jesus. Because his message about divine punishment was rejected. And, although he was crucified, at least he was excoriated with words. And the sinners had been duly warned.
So he could return home and rest easy after a job well done. Or he could go to church on Sunday and tell his comrades how he had been threatened and mistreated for speaking God’s message.
His was an act of religious masochism. And all of us, who were appalled by his message and his timing, were but part of his drama.